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. 2010 Apr;80(2):237-247.
doi: 10.1111/j.1939-0025.2010.01027.x.

The impact of hurricane Katrina on the mental and physical health of low-income parents in New Orleans

Jean Rhodes  1 , Christian Chan  1 , Christina Paxson  2 , Cecilia Elena Rouse  2 , Mary Waters  3 , Elizabeth Fussell  4
Affiliations

The impact of hurricane Katrina on the mental and physical health of low-income parents in New Orleans

Jean Rhodes et al. Am J Orthopsychiatry. 2010 Apr.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to document changes in mental and physical health among 392 low-income parents exposed to Hurricane Katrina and to explore how hurricane-related stressors and loss relate to post-Katrina well-being. The prevalence of probable serious mental illness doubled, and nearly half of the respondents exhibited probable posttraumatic stress disorder. Higher levels of hurricane-related loss and stressors were generally associated with worse health outcomes, controlling for baseline sociodemographic and health measures. Higher baseline resources predicted fewer hurricane-associated stressors, but the consequences of stressors and loss were similar regardless of baseline resources. Adverse health consequences of Hurricane Katrina persisted for a year or more and were most severe for those experiencing the most stressors and loss. Long-term health and mental health services are needed for low-income disaster survivors, especially those who experience disaster-related stressors and loss.

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